Synonyms

deteriorating

American

[dih-teer-ee-uh-rey-ting] / dɪˈtɪər i əˌreɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

becoming worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc..

A deteriorating house, whatever the cause, will have an adverse effect on your real estate investment.
Officials have warned of a deteriorating security situation in the disputed territory.
disintegrating or wearing away.

If what you have underneath is fabric or fiberglass, I’d be concerned that deteriorating paint is letting ultraviolet rays do their worst to your aircraft.

Other Word Forms

undeteriorating

adjective

Etymology

Origin of deteriorating

First recorded in 1680–90; deteriorate ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The average S&P 500 company has seen sales estimates increase 2.6% this year, so identifying companies that are roughly in step with or better than the average increases the likelihood of avoiding truly deteriorating businesses.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Iranian human rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi has been transferred from jail to a Tehran hospital amid concern over her deteriorating health.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

Intensifying competition in lending and deteriorating credit quality are concerns, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

SYDNEY—The Reserve Bank of Australia delivered its third consecutive interest-rate increase on Tuesday, citing a deteriorating inflation outlook and warning of “plausible” scenarios in which fuel-price pressures rise more than expected.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Knowing that my health was deteriorating every day took its toll on my mother.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023